Ice making apparatus for marine vessels

Abstract

An ice maker for marine vessels having an evaporator assembly within which ice is formed for delivery to remote locations. An air and water cooled condensing unit delivers refrigeration fluid to the evaporator assembly and ice formed therein is driven by an auger into a distribution chamber defined by a distribution cap member located above the auger. Ice entering the distribution chamber passes through a comminution ring which breaks the ice up into smaller particles and the ice is then directed radially by a slanted wall into the blades of an impeller member which rotates about the same axis as the auger and which drives the ice particles into a discharge opening formed in the ice distribution cap. The evaporator assembly and the condensing unit are mounted separately so that the evaporator assembly may be located to reduce the path through which the ice must travel to reach its ultimate destination.

1. Ice making apparatus for marine craft comprising: an evaporator unit defining a central axis and including a freezing chamber for making ice therein; an auger rotatable about said central axis within said freezing chamber for moving ice out of said freezing chamber in a direction generally parallel with said central axis; water inlet means for introducing water into said freezing chamber; a refrigeration assembly including a condenser for delivering a refrigerant fluid to said freezing chamber to effect freezing of the water introduced by said water inlet means; an ice distribution cap mounted on said evaporator unit defining an ice distribution chamber arranged to receive therein ice moved out of said freezing chamber by said rotating auger, a comminution ring arranged between said freezing chamber and said ice distribution chamber having slots formed therein to reduce the size of ice passing from said freezing chamber into said ice distribution chamber, a bearing housing located within said ice distribution chamber having operatively arranged therein an upper bearing for said rotatable auger; an annular deflection surface defined on said bearing housing for deflecting in a direction radially outwardly of said central axis ice passing through said slots in said comminution ring; a slotted circular collar located around said comminution ring for directing ice passing there through toward said annular deflection surface; an ice discharge opening formed with said ice distribution cap for directing ice out of said ice distribution chamber, said discharge opening being defined as part of said ice distribution cap to direct said ice transversely relative to said central axis; and an impeller member having impeller blades extending in a direction generally along said central axis for driving ice out of said ice distribution chamber and through said ice discharge opening. 
   
   
     2. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said ice discharge opening is defined by a tubular member formed integrally with said ice distribution cap and extending radially relative to said central axis. 
   
   
     3. Apparatus according to  claim 1  where said ice discharge opening is defined by a tubular member formed integrally with said ice distribution cap and extending tangentially relative to the direction of rotation of said impeller member. 
   
   
     4. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein rotation of said impeller blades about said central axis operates to impart to ice within said ice distribution chamber a driving force in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement imparted to said ice by said auger. 
   
   
     5. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said condenser includes air cooling means operating to perform a primary cooling function for said condenser and water cooling assist means operating to intermittently provide a cooling function for said condenser when the cooling function provided by said air cooling means is insufficient. 
   
   
     6. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said ice distribution cap is detachably mounted on said evaporator unit. 
   
   
     7. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said refrigeration assembly and said evaporator unit are formed as separate structures capable of being mounted at different locations on said marine craft. 
   
   
     8. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said ice distribution cap is mounted on said evaporator unit and is formed with a domed configuration defining a generally circular interior wall cooperating with said impeller blades to facilitate movement of said ice out of said ice distribution chamber into said ice discharge opening. 
   
   
     9. Ice making apparatus for marine craft comprising:
 evaporator means defining a central axis and including a freezing chamber for making ice therein; 
 auger means rotatable about said central axis within said freezing chamber for moving ice out of said freezing chamber in a direction generally parallel with said central axis; 
 water inlet means for introducing water into said freezing chamber; 
 refrigeration means including condenser means for delivering a refrigerant fluid to said freezing chamber to effect freezing of the water introduced by said water inlet means; 
 ice distribution means mounted on said evaporator means defining an ice distribution chamber arranged to receive therein ice moved out of said freezing chamber by said rotating auger means; 
 comminution means arranged between said freezing chamber and said ice distribution chamber having slots formed therein to reduce the size of ice passing from said freezing chamber into said ice distribution chamber; 
 a bearing housing located within said ice distribution chamber having operatively arranged therein an upper bearing for said rotatable auger means; 
 annular deflection means defined on said bearing housing for deflecting in a direction radially outwardly of said central axis ice passing through said slots in said comminution means; 
 slotted circular collar means located around said comminution means for directing ice passing there through toward said annular deflection means; 
 an ice discharge opening formed with said ice distribution means for directing ice out of said ice distribution chamber, said discharge opening being defined as part of said ice distribution means to direct said ice transversely relative to said central axis; and 
 impeller means having impeller blades extending in a direction generally along said central axis for driving ice out of said ice distribution chamber and through said ice discharge opening. 
 
   
   
     10. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said discharge opening is arranged to direct ice in a direction extending tangentially relative to the direction of rotation of said impeller means. 
   
   
     11. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said impeller means are made of noncorrosive metal. 
   
   
     12. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said ice distribution means is formed to define said ice distribution chamber with a domed configuration with an inner wall having a circular component cooperating with said impeller means to facilitate driving of said ice through said ice discharge opening. 
   
   
     13. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said ice discharge means includes a passage defined to extend perpendicularly relative to said central axis and having said ice discharge opening at the end thereof. 
   
   
     14. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said ice distribution means is detachably mounted on said evaporator means. 
   
   
     15. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said refrigeration means and said evaporator means are formed as separate structures capable of being mounted at different locations on said marine craft. 
   
   
     16. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said condenser means includes air cooling means operating to perform a primary cooling function for said condenser means and water cooling assist means operating to intermittently provide a cooling function for said condenser means when the cooling function provided by said air cooling means is insufficient. 
   
   
     17. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein rotation of said impeller means about said central axis operates to impart to ice within said ice distribution chamber a driving force in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement imparted to said ice by said auger means. 
   
   
     18. Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said impeller means have a narrow elongate configuration extending generally parallel to said central axis mounted within said distribution chamber rotatable about said central axis for driving ice through said discharge opening. 
   
   
     19. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said impeller blades have a narrow elongate configuration extending generally parallel to said central axis mounted within said distribution chamber rotatable about said central axis for driving ice through said discharge means.